Page 51 of Lust

Uriel glanced at her. “Yesterday?”

It took Eddie a moment to catch on that she meant the time and not the imp. “Yes.”

Now Uriel turned and stared at her. “And they didn’t rend you limb from limb?”

“She might not be a witch, but she’s different.” Shade jerked his head in her direction. “They heed her.”

As if to prove his point, both hounds moved to Eddie and flanked her.

Gaping at the hounds, Uriel lowered her dagger. “I thought they’d bitten her. I smelled hell on her yesterday.”

“Not them.” Grimacing, Shade bent over and rested his hands on his knees. “Rakshasa demon.”

“Bullshit!” Uriel—who was looking more like Sophia now—glanced from her to Shade and then the hounds. “No human survives a rakshasa bite.”

“I was once bitten by wolf spider.” Lillian poked her head around the sofa. “My hand swelled right up and went all red and nasty looking. I had the worst headache as well, and I was really rather queasy.”

Uriel’s expression softened. “That must have been awful for you.”

“It was.” Lillian nodded vigorously enough to send her hair flying. “But I have a very strong immune system. The doctors said so.” She preened and giggled. “I may look like a delicate flower, but I’m very strong.”

Shade kept his gaze on Eddie. “She can also resist my lust.”

Frowning, Uriel turned back to her. “You can?”

“If you mean that disgusting thing he does, then I suppose so.” Eddie didn’t want to get into the fact that it hadn’t been exactly easy. The temptation to go full Lillian on him had been hard to shove aside. She shuddered as she remembered Lillian’s reaction. “He’s a fucking asshole.”

“You’ll get no argument from me on that.” Uriel chuckled. “But he’s a very powerful asshole, and you should not have been able to resist.” Uriel cocked her head and studied her. “What are you?”

As that was patently obvious, Eddie didn’t bother to reply. “I think a better question is what are you?”

“Meet Uriel.” Shade groaned and levered himself to standing. Pressing his fist into the small of his back, he stretched and hissed. “Archangel and my balancing force.”

“Uriel?” Lillian wrinkled her nose. “You said your name was Sophia.”

“I hate Uriel.” Uriel threw a glare at Shade. “Which is why I go by Sophia. Only assholes call me Uriel.”

She had a point, and Eddie mentally erased Uriel. “You’re an archangel, Sophia?”

“See.” Sophia gave Shade a pointed stare. “It’s not that hard to remember.”

“Uriel is a name that happens when a bunch of senior middle eastern men get to name angels and demons.” Holding his shoulder, he carefully rotated his arm.

“You go by Shade,” Lillian pointed out. “Isn’t that also a stage name?”

“She’s got you there.” Sophia smirked.

“Yeah, well.” He grimaced as his rotation hit a tender spot. “Asmodeus is no party either.”

They had drifted so far off the point. Eddie needed them back on topic. “You’re an archangel and he’s a hell prince. And you guys are opposites?”

“Something like that.” Sophia held her hand out to Lillian. Her eyes blazed electric blue. “Nothing happened here today,” she crooned. “You came to the theatre and went to rehearse your monologue on stage.”

Lillian nodded and traipsed out of the greenroom.

The door to stage right opened and whispered shut again.

“I have questions.” Eddie faced down both beings. “Not the least of which is who is going to pay for the repairs to my greenroom.”

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